Converting a Phast study to a Phast Risk study

Published: 16 March 2011

This FAQ relates to: Phast and Phast Risk version 6.6

Introduction
Both Phast and Phast Risk use the same file format with the same file extension (*.PSU) when saving study
files. Although the file format is the same, there are some important differences between Phast files and
Phast Risk files concerning the data that is stored: additional data is used in a Phast Risk study that is not
available in a Phast study file.

It is possible to load a Phast study file into Phast Risk, for example when using a consequence study as the
basis of a QRA study. The additional data required by Phast Risk must be added to the study before it can
be used for Risk calculations. This document describes the additional features that must be added to a
study when “upgrading” from Phast to Phast Risk. A comment on achieving the reverse process is included
at the end.

Step 1: open the Phast study in Phast Risk

When a Phast study is opened in Phast Risk, the program will add some (but not all) of the data needed to
convert it into a Risk study, and will provide the following warning:

The study will now include one Run Row (see the Run Row tab) and a Population Category Set (see the
Risk tab).

Save the study under a new name so that the old Phast study is not overwritten.
Step 2 – adding Risk options
In the menu, choose Options > Preferences > Risk… and click on the General tab.

Under Model and Diagnostic Control, check that the items are set as follows:
Individual Risk Array Run, No Diagnostics
F/N Curve Run, No Diagnostics
Societal Risk Ranking Results Run, No Diagnostics
Building Category Results Run, No Diagnostics
Individual Risk Ranking Results Run, No Diagnostics
Population Diagnostics No Diagnostics
Ignition Diagnostics No Diagnostics
Event Diagnostics No Diagnostics
Explosion Diagnostics No Diagnostics
Transect/Contour Diagnostics No Diagnostics
These settings control which risk calculations are performed. Diagnostics contain detailed data
which can be used for advanced analysis. The files containing the diagnostics are unformatted and
configured for calculation efficiency rather than usability.

Still in the Risk Preferences window, click on the tab FN Curve. The data for the FN curve lines will have
been added automatically. Depending on local regulations, you might need to change this data.

Still in the Risk Preferences window, click on the tab Contours. A study that is converted from Phast will
have an empty field “Maximum number of cells”. Type a value of 40000 into this field (circled below).
The other data in this tab represents levels for risk contour graphs, and will have been added automatically.
Step 3 – adding parameters
Because this study was converted from Phast, it does not contain a reference to the additional parameters
that are required for risk calculation. Follow these steps to insert instances of the risk parameters:
1. Browse to the Parameters tab of the study tree
2. Select the parameters folder and choose Insert > Event Tree Probabilities
3. Select the parameters folder and choose Insert > General Risk Parameters

The following parameter groups will be added to the bottom of the list.

Step 4 – adding an ignition set and a population set

Because this study was converted from Phast, it also does not contain any ignition sets or population sets.
Before Phast Risk will run calculations, one (empty) ignition set and one (empty) population set must be
specified. It is not necessary add population or ignition data as part of the conversion process, though these
should be added to a risk study in due course. Follow these steps to insert instances of the risk parameters:

1. Browse to the Risk tab of the study tree

(circled on the right)
2. Select the top node of the study tree and
choose Insert > Ignition Set
3. Select the parameters folder and choose
Insert > Parameter Set
It is also necessary to SELECT these sets in the Run Row window:

1. Browse to the Run Row tab of the study tree (circled below)
2. Double-click on the Run Row which is labelled “1”
3. In the window “Editing Run Row 1”, click on the second tab “Risk” (circled below)
4. Change the set selected under the heading “Population” from “unknown” to “Population Set”
(underlined below). The name “Population Set” is the name that was automatically given to the
Population Set you specified above.
5. Do the same with the Ignition Set.
6. You can leave the “Boundary” set as “Unknown”.

Step 5 – adding wind-rose data to the Weather Set

In Phast Risk, the direction of the weather must be taken into account, along with the probability of that
weather category being in that direction. Do the following:

1. Browse to the Run Row tab of the study tree (circled below)
2. Double-click on the Run Row which is labelled “1”
3. In the window “Editing Run Row 1”, click on the tab “Global Weathers” on the far right (circled
below)
4. this box allows you to select weather categories for a specific run row. Select all weathers
(underlined below).
Now go to the Weather Probabilities window:

1. Browse to the Weather tab of the study tree

2. Double-click on the folder “Global Weathers”. The “Weather Probabilities” window will open.
3. If any of the rows are greyed out, it means they were not selected for the current run row (as above)

It is necessary to enter some non-zero data. The probabilities of a particular weather coming from a
particular direction are made available by meteorological centres in the form of Wind Rose Data. For
simplicity, or if no wind rose data is yet available, the number of weather directions can be reduced to 4,
and a value of 1 can be entered in every field if no other data is available. This will model equal
probabilities of all weathers and directions.

Step 6 – adding model event frequency

1. At the top of the Phast Risk window, change the drop-down list from
“Consequence Only” to “Consequence & Risk”
2. Browse to the Models tab of the study tree
3. Open the input data for a model by double clicking on it.
4. The input data for each model now includes a page with a tab called “Risk”. Each model requires a
value for the Event Frequency. This is the frequency that this event (the scenario being modelled by
this Vessel/Pipe Source model etc. ) will occur.

Once all the above steps have been performed, it should be possible to run the study in Phast Risk and
obtain Risk Contours. It will not be possible yet to obtain FN curves, individual risk ranking reports or
societal risk ranking reports until population data, ignition sources and risk ranking points have been
applied.

Back-conversion from Phast Risk to Phast.

It is not possible to open a Phast Risk study in Phast. However, it is possible to export data from a Phast
Risk study in such a way that it can be then imported into Phast. The instructions for doing so are as
follows:

1. In Phast Risk, click on the Models tab, and select the Study (usually the second item in the Study
tree, with the icon of a factory next to it).
2. On the menu, click File >> Export … >> As Study …
3. Type a meaningful filename and save the file.
4. Close Phast Risk and start Phast.
5. In Phast, on the menu, click File >> New, and click on the Models Tab.
6. On the menu, click File >> Import
7. Choose the filename given in step 3 above.
8. Save the study under a new filename

The above process will convert models, weathers and parameters only, and will place these under a study
called “Imported Study X” (where X was the name of the study in Phast Risk). This process will not
convert links to maps. The collection of maps can be exported and imported in a similar way using Export
Without Defaults on the Raster Image Set folder or External Connection folder (see Maps tab).

Contact
If you need additional assistance on this or any other support issue, please email
software.support@dnv.com.